Abstract:

Background: Many cultures in the world perceive mental illness to be caused by supernatural and witchcrafts, these beliefs have serious long term consequence on the mental health of the patients, often resulting on avoid or delay in getting appropriate treatment of mental illness and leading to related mental disability, morbidity and mortality. Mental illness accounts 5% of the total burden of disease, 19% of all disability in Africa and contributes 5.3% of the global burden of disease in Tanzania.

Objective: Aim of the study was the perceived risk factors for mental illness and the attitude towards accessing health care among people with mental illness attending psychiatric clinic at BRRH.

Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted among 78 people mental illness attending psychiatric clinic at BRRH, Questionnaires were used to obtain data and obtained data was analyzed by computer using SPSS program.

Results: The study population did have a fairly understanding of mental illness, recognizing life diversities, brain disease and substance abuse as key cause of mental illness, However 34.62% still believe on evil spirits and 70.51% failed to associated it with birth related problems and the level of perception was associated with residence (p=0.017), indigenousity (p=0.035) and number of children (p=0.002). 80.77% had positive attitude towards accessing health care, and it was associated with education level (p=0.02) and occupation (p=0.041).

Conclusion: Perception of what cause mental illness is still a challenge. So the initiatives that increase appropriate knowledge on mental health among the general population many improve the extent to which individuals seek for care.